Rumors of My Death
by WhiteFeather1965
Summary: A Scarecrow & Mrs. King AU based on "Mission of Gold." Amanda gets shot while on her honeymoon with Lee and later dies from her injuries. How does the newly married Lee react and cope with Amanda's injury and subsequent death? (Some actual dialogue and situations from "Mission of Gold" used.)
1. Chapter 1 - Stray Bullet

**Chapter 1 – Stray Bullet**

Lee had yelled at Amanda to get back in the car as bullets flew all around them. Amanda watched in the side mirror as Lee made his way along the side of the car. She lost sight of him in the rearview mirror as he crouched near the rear bumper. She heard the sound of breaking glass and a split second later she saw the bullet. She was helpless and could do nothing to stop it. She didn't even have time to scream as the bullet burrowed a hot stinging path through her chest. Her last thought before she lost consciousness was to marvel at how her blood misted as the bullet impacted her body.

Lee made his way around the car and crouched near the rear bumper, unaware that a bullet had gone through the windshield and hit Amanda in the chest. When the shooting stopped, Lee carefully rose from his crouched position and stealthily made his way to the driver's side door. He lifted the handle to open the door and stuck his head inside to check on Amanda.

What he saw would stay with him the rest of his life. "Oh, my God!" he exclaimed, as he saw the bullet hole in the windshield and followed its path to Amanda. She sat in the car seat, blood slowly spreading over her sweater from a bullet wound just over her left breast. Her face was turned away from him and one hand rested on her lap. At first he thought she was dead; she was so still.

He reached to touch her neck to see if he could find a pulse. A sigh of relief escaped his lips as her carotid pulsed under his fingertips, rapid and thready, but there. He could also see the shallow rise and fall of her chest as she struggled for breath. She was still alive, barely so, but alive none the less. He could find nothing to pack the wound, so he put pressure on it with his bare hands. For the moment, caught in the struggle between life and death, he could do nothing else and for his Amanda, his wife, he could do no less.

He yelled at shocked passersby to call an ambulance. When it came, Lee was still applying pressure to the wound. He sat astride Amanda's body and he had reclined the seat as far back as it would go. "I'm here, Amanda. I'm here. You're going to be okay. Stay with me. Stay here with me," he said over and over in a whispery broken voice.

He got out of the car and watched as the paramedics tended to her wound, started an IV and put an oxygen mask over her nose and mouth. They lifted her to the stretcher and put her in the ambulance for transport. Lee jumped in and sat next to Amanda. He held her hand and moved a stray hair from her forehead, as he said with a quirky smile, "This is beginning to be a habit." She had ridden in an ambulance once before, when she had been injected with a powerful truth serum. Halfway to the hospital after she had been given a neutralizer, she had awakened, smiled at him, mumbled something about Portofino and gone back to sleep. This time, as Lee watched her face for any sign of consciousness, she was completely still.

When the ambulance got to the hospital, Amanda was rushed into surgery and Lee was relegated to the waiting room. A police officer came to the hospital and took Lee's statement. Apparently, the shooting had occurred over salvage rights to an old Spanish galleon named _La Bodega_ sunk off the coast of California near Las Palmas, but they had no other leads at the moment. If it took him the rest of his life, Lee would find who had done this and make him pay in blood.

After what seemed like forever, a nurse came to take Lee to see the doctor. Lee asked about Amanda, but all the nurse would say was to follow her. Lee encountered the doctor just as he was coming out of Amanda's room. Lee wanted desperately to get to Amanda, but the doctor blocked his way.

"Mr. Stetson," the doctor began. "I'm Dr. Neelly. She's out of surgery, but I'm not going to kid you. We still have a long way to go."

Lee asked tightly, "She is going to be all right, isn't she?"

"The next 48 hours will be crucial. It's a miracle she's alive. The bullet went through her chest. A fraction of an inch either way or she wouldn't have had a chance."

Lee set his jaw against the pain the doctor's words had caused and asked, "When can I see her?"

"It's going to take awhile, later this evening maybe," Dr. Neelly said. "Go back to where you are staying. Rest, get cleaned up and have something to eat. Leave your number. We will call you with any change in her condition. Please, Mr. Stetson."

Lee reluctantly agreed and walked away, a pained sadness in his eyes so deep as to be almost abysmal. _She's alive. That's something, _he thought.

He knew he would have to buck up his courage to make an important phone call. He had to let Amanda's mother know what had happened. He found a pay phone, dropped in the coins and sighed deeply before he began to dial.

"Hello, Mrs. West. Yeah, it's Lee. Uh… well, I'm afraid I'm not doing so well right now," Lee said tightly and swallowed before he continued. "It's Amanda. There's been an accident. Yes, you can be on the next plane. Yes, Las Palmas Community Hospital, Room 345C. I'll be waiting. I'll see you when you get here."

Later, Lee called Billy and Francine from where he was staying. As he waited for the phone to be answered, Lee stared fixedly at Amanda's luggage sitting next to the bed, still waiting to be unpacked. "I flew out here the minute I heard, Billy," Lee said, trying hard to maintain the cover that he and Amanda had concocted to keep their marriage under wraps.

"I'm certainly glad her mother was able to locate you," Billy said.

"Yeah, she was very upset and with good reason," Lee continued.

Francine broke her silence. "Lee, she's strong. She'll be fine."

"You bet she is. Keep your fingers crossed, huh," Lee said with a slight catch in his voice and hung up the phone.

He walked like a man half dead to the couch and sat down heavily. As he played with the simple gold band on his left hand, all he could think about was his Amanda, his wife, the love of his life in that hospital bed fighting for her life. He buried his head in his hands and suddenly the tragedy of the past several hours caught up with him. He took a deep breath and let the tears come. If he did his crying now, did his hurting in private, then maybe it wouldn't sneak up on him at some crucial moment and it would be easier to put on a brave face for Amanda's mother.

Was this how Amanda had felt those many times she had stubbornly kept vigil over him when it had been him in that hospital bed? Or what about the time she had thought he had died and Billy had made her attend his fake funeral? He knew now for certain that he had handled that all wrong and those situations only went to show how much she cared for him even then. If they ever made it through this, he promised that he would make it up to her somehow.

Later that day, he was allowed to see Amanda briefly. He sat next to the bed, staring with sad eyes into the clear plastic of the oxygen tent, where Amanda lay so pale and still. It frustrated him that he was unable to touch her. The only signs of life were the beeping of the heart monitor and the slow rise and fall of her chest as she breathed.

Dotty came in as Lee sat there, a look of shock on her face as she took in her daughter's condition. "Oh, my God!" she exclaimed.

Lost in memories and misery, Lee hadn't heard her come into the room, but turned at her words. He stood and moved to stand beside her. He put his arm around her shoulders and said, "She's stable, but still in critical condition. All we can do is wait," Lee told her in a tight voice.

"She's gonna be fine. She's gonna be absolutely fine," Dotty closed her eyes and said with certainty. Then she turned to Lee and said, "Lee, I have never seen her give up on anything that was important and she's not gonna give up now. My God, what happened? Why? Who did this? It doesn't make any sense."

Lee blinked at her words, remembering other times that Amanda had refused to give up on him, sometimes to the point of almost compromising his cover. Once he was a disgruntled burnout and Amanda had tried valiantly to encourage him and calm him down. Another time he was an agent lured by big money to become an arms dealer and Amanda would not stop trying to get him to come back to the Agency. Apparently, even when they had not been partners for very long, he had been important to her.

After one last long look at Amanda, Lee guided Dotty from the room and quietly closed the door. He said, "C'mon, I'll tell you everything I know. All right?"

Lee returned to the hospital that evening and as he got off the elevator, a code blue sounded over the PA system. The crash cart was rushed to 345C. That was Amanda's hospital room.

Dotty appeared after the doctor. She grabbed his arm in a vise like grip and said, "Lee, it's Amanda!"

Lee stood in the doorway and saw the flat line on the heart monitor, just before the doctor pushed him out into the hallway and closed the door.

What seemed like hours later, Lee and Dotty sat in the waiting room, when the doctor came to talk to them. They rose and stood shoulder to shoulder as Dr. Neelly made his pronouncement.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Stetson. We did all we could, but we lost her. You will be allowed to see her before we take her downstairs."

Lee caught Dotty as her knees gave out and helped her to sit on the couch. Lee dropped down beside her and took her in his arms. He held her while she keened like a wounded animal.

"My daughter. My only child," she wailed. "Lee, what are we going to do? How… how am I going to tell the boys?"

Lee had to swallow down the lump in his throat before he could speak. "We'll do it together, Mrs. West. Amanda would want it that way," Lee said in a choked voice.

"Why would you want to be a party to any of this? Why would she want you to be?" Dotty asked.

"There's something I need to tell you and you must tell no one else. Promise me," Lee said. Dotty looked at him with suspicion for a moment before nodding her agreement.

"Amanda and I got married on Friday. We were on our honeymoon, when this happened," Lee explained, his voice breaking on the last few words.

"I had a hunch something was going on between you two, something more than just dating," Dotty said, as she stared at her hands in her lap. "Why all the secrecy? Why would you need to do that?"

"It has to do with the nature of our work. I can't go into specifics, but it was important that we didn't appear to be romantically involved. Hopefully, someday I'll be allowed to explain it to you," Lee said.

"That's so sad," said Dotty as she shook her head and sobbed even harder. "She was just starting out on her new life with you only to lose that life to a stray bullet."

"She was a very special woman. She was the love of my life and I hope I was the love of hers," Lee said, his voice choked and breaking.

"I know Amanda. You had to be," said Dotty, taking Lee's hand and patting it. "Otherwise, she would not have said yes to your proposal of marriage. Those three little words were so important to her. She once told me that to say you love someone when you don't feel it in your heart; it is a lie. If she said those three little words to you, I can assure you she meant it to the very depths of her heart and soul."

Just then, a nurse appeared in the waiting room and said, "We're ready for you now."

Lee and Dotty stood in the doorway of Amanda's hospital room. Amanda lay on the bed, only her head and shoulders visible. Her body was covered to just above her breasts with a white sheet and the bandage that patched her bullet wound peeked just above the sheet. The oxygen tent and all the tubes and leads had been removed. The incessant beeping of the heart monitor was noticeably absent. If Lee hadn't known any better he would have believed Amanda was asleep. A few times he had watched her sleep so still after being terribly exhausted, her face relaxed and at peace, as it was now.

Dotty hung back, as Lee came to stand next to the bed. He reached to run the backs of his fingers over her cool smooth cheek and he tucked a lock of stray hair behind her ear as he spoke. "It's just not going to be the same without you here with me. You taught me so much about life and love. You were my partner for so long and then the love of my life. I know I lost my heart to you the first time I looked into your eyes. Losing you is like losing my right arm. Be at peace, Amanda and know that your family will be cared for and protected as I promised to do when I married you. I don't know if I can do this without you, I love you so much," Lee choked out, his voice finally breaking on the last few words, for a moment making it impossible to breathe or to speak. He kissed her on the forehead and turned to Dotty with tears in his eyes.

Dotty came forward and hugged Lee fiercely. Lee turned and walked out of the room and down the hall to the waiting room. He did not want to intrude on such an intimate moment between a mother and her only daughter.

He knew he would have to call Billy and arrange to have Amanda's body sent back to Arlington for burial. Might as well get it over with while he was still lucid enough to form a complete sentence. He went to find a pay phone. He took a deep breath before he deposited the coins and began to dial. As the phone rang, Lee thought about what he had to tell Billy.

"Melrose here."

"Billy, it's Lee."

"How's Amanda?" Billy asked.

"That's what I called to tell you. Amanda died about an hour ago," Lee said, his voice cracking.

"Oh, Lee. I'm so sorry. Are you all right? Is there anything I can do?" Billy said.

"I'm okay for now. Amanda's mother is a mess. I'm doing what I can for her. I need to arrange to have Amanda brought home for burial," Lee choked out through the lump in his throat. For some reason he could not seem to bring himself to say the word "body."

Apparently, just then Francine came into the room. Billy covered the receiver for a moment and then Lee could hear Francine crying in the background, "Oh no! Oh, my God! Is Lee all right?"

"Lee, I'll do everything I can from this end. Have them contact me when her body is released for burial and I'll make all the arrangements to bring Amanda's body back to Arlington," Billy said.

"I have to get back to Amanda's mother. I'll call you later to make further arrangements," Lee said and hung up the phone. As he turned, he saw Dotty, a pale and bereft shadow, come down the hallway.

Lee grasped her upper arm to keep her from falling. "That made… it all… too real," she choked out, as tears ran down her face unchecked. "She was my daughter… my only child… and now… she's gone."

"I know, Mrs. West. I know," Lee croaked. "Nothing else we can do here. When was the last time you ate?"

Dotty took a deep breath and let it out. It went a long way toward steadying her. She answered, "I don't know. Shouldn't I be asking you that?"

"I guess Amanda did teach me a few things," Lee said, with a quick but sad smile.

After making sure that Dotty was given the opportunity to eat, though both of them just picked at their food, Lee parted ways with her and reluctantly went back to his hotel.

That night in his hotel room, Lee sat on the bed, his mind and body once again awash with pain. What was it Lee had told Amanda about learning to not mind the pain? He seemed to be doing a pretty poor job of it at the moment. Lee caught sight of Amanda's luggage and it made his chest hurt and his throat tight. He put it in the bathroom, so that he wouldn't have to look at it.

He tried to get some rest, but he tossed and turned and sleep just would not come. Finally, he dropped off to sleep from sheer exhaustion.

_Lee was at Amanda's funeral. He held a bouquet of red roses in his hand. Dotty, Joe and the boys stood nearby looking at the casket as it was readied to be lowered into the ground. Billy and Francine were nearby as well. _

_Lee moved forward as though to place the roses on top of the casket, but he stopped and watched as the casket lid opened slowly. Amanda's eyes opened and they sparkled with love, happiness and excitement. She sat up and as Lee stood there she reached to touch his forehead and smooth back his hair, as she had done a hundred times before. _

_She leaned forward and whispered in his ear, "I love you, Lee. I trust you with my family and I know you will take good care of them. Don't be sad for me. I'll be happy and at peace where I'm going." She kissed his cheek and slowly lay back down. She closed her eyes and the casket lid slowly closed. _

_Then the casket was lowered into the grave. Lee threw himself onto the ground and reached toward the sinking casket. Billy came to pull him away from the edge of the grave. He struggled and threw himself back to the ground and reached toward the sinking casket again. _

_"__Don't leave me, Amanda. I can't do this without you," he sobbed._

Lee sat up, panting and sweating as though he had just run a mile. He touched his face and it was wet with his tears. He looked around disoriented for a few moments. He was in his hotel room and the clock read 3:48 am. He got up to have a glass of water and splash some on his face. He looked at his reflection in the bathroom mirror and thought that he had aged a decade in the past few days.

He wished he had something stronger to drink, but he knew it would do him no good. It would only dull his senses and kill the ache of loss only for a little while.

**LSAKLSAKLSAK**

A few days later, after Amanda's body had been released, Lee and Dotty flew home together and Amanda's body was on an earlier flight. The flight from one coast to the other seemed to take forever. The packet containing Amanda's personal affects was in Lee's carryon. He had her treasured diamond heart necklace and their wedding rings in a special velvet pouch in his pocket. Every once in awhile he would put his hand in his pocket and feel it there and he would feel a stabbing pain in his chest. After a few moments it would subside to the dull ache he had felt since hearing that his beloved Amanda was dead.

Dulles was crowded when Lee and Dotty's plane landed. Lee had hoped that the casket containing Amanda's body would be waiting for him when he got there. No such luck. The freight log showed that someone from the funeral home had signed for it, but the signature was illegible. Lee was angry and disappointed.

He found a pay phone and called Billy. Billy said that the funeral home had assured him that they would take charge of the body as soon as it landed at Dulles. Next, he called the funeral home and they had no record of receiving a body from Dulles that day or any other in the last two weeks.

Lee hung up the phone and ran his fingers through his hair. "Where can she be?"

Dotty could see Lee as she stood near the baggage claim several minutes later. She could tell something was very wrong. She walked toward him and asked, "Lee, is everything all right?"

Lee looked at her and said, "Something went wrong. Someone from the funeral home signed for Amanda's body, but the funeral home has no record of receiving it. No one seems to know where she is."

Lee sat on the edge of the baggage carousel and held his head in his hands. Dotty put her hand on his shoulder until Lee drew in a deep breath and raised his head.

"What are we going to do?" she asked.

Lee shook his head and said, "I don't know, but right now we need to get home to the boys and tell them what happened." Dotty said that Amanda's Wagoneer was at the airport. They found it and loaded their luggage into the back as quickly as possible.

When they pulled up in front of Amanda's house, it had seemed years since Lee had last seen it, though it had been no more than a week and a half. Phillip and Jamie would still be in school, so the house was empty for now. Lee unloaded Dotty's luggage and carried it into the house for her. Neither of them felt like eating anything, so Dotty made coffee. They sat together on the couch in the den and drank it. Everywhere he looked, Lee saw Amanda. This was her home, the place she had felt safest and most comfortable, with the exception of perhaps Lee's arms.

When the boys got home, Joe was with them. He had been taking care of them since Dotty had had to make her dash to California. Lee had them all sit down in the den.

Before Joe sat down, he asked the first question, "Where's Amanda? Is she okay?"

Lee touched him on the shoulder and said, "That's what we want to talk to you about, Joe. Please sit down and we will answer all of your questions."

"You sound like you're from the government," he said and reluctantly took a seat.

Lee took a deep breath and began, "While we were on a film assignment scouting locations in Las Palmas, California, we got caught in some crossfire and Amanda got shot. She later died from her injuries." He turned to Joe and met his eyes. "I'm sorry, Joe. Amanda's dead." Joe grabbed the boys in headlocks and rocked with them, as tears streamed down his face.

"Mom's dead?" Jamie asked and struggled to be free of his Dad's arm. "Why didn't you help her?" he screeched and came at Lee. Lee braced for the impact, but did nothing to defend himself against the blows of Jamie's fists on his chest. After a moment or two, Lee grabbed Jamie's wrists to gently restrain him.

"I did everything I could. The hospital did everything they could. It just wasn't enough," Lee choked out. Lee released Jamie's hands and he buried his head in Lee's chest and began to sob. Lee wrapped his arms around him and stroked the back of his head, while he let him cry.

Phillip wriggled loose as well and stood stoically next to his Dad's chair with his hand on his Dad's shoulder. His breathing was rapid, but he had yet to shed a tear. Dotty came over to Phillip and enveloped him in her embrace. "I'm not a baby," he whispered so that only Dotty would hear. "I know," she said, just as quietly. "But this is something your mother would have wanted me to do."

Joe looked up and asked, "Will there be a funeral?"

Lee said, "I don't know. We can't seem to find Amanda's body. The casket was flown to Dulles and was supposed to arrive on an earlier flight than ours. The freight log says it was signed for by someone from the funeral home, but the funeral home has no record of receiving it."

Joe said, "I have a few contacts. Let me make a few phone calls. We will get to the bottom of this."


	2. Chapter 2 - Now or Never

**Chapter 2 – Now or Never**

A light blue metallic van drove out in front of a hearse and caused an accident near the freight exit to the airport. When the driver of the hearse got out he was immediately shot in the head. As he wilted to the ground, two men got out of the van and went to the back of the hearse. They pulled out a dark oak casket with brass handles. They put it in the van and sped away.

Three quarters of an hour later the van pulled into a dusty warehouse and stopped. The driver got out to open the back doors and pulled the casket out of the van. The passenger got out and took the other end. They carried the casket deeper into the warehouse and set it on the concrete floor.

The driver popped the casket open to reveal the body of a woman inside. Her face was covered with an oxygen mask and a small oxygen bottle rested to the right of her head. A small bag of clear fluid with a tube that ran to her arm also rested next to her in the casket. The driver removed the oxygen mask and turned off the bottle. They took her out of the casket and laid her on a padded table in a nearby room. Another man came out of the shadows and removed the IV from the woman's arm. He took a needle from a tray beside the table, uncapped it and squirted a bit of the liquid from the needle. Then, he stuck it in the woman's arm, in the bend of her elbow where the IV had been, put a cotton ball on it and bent her arm.

Moments later the woman moaned and tried to move her head. Her eyes opened and darted about, disoriented. The woman blinked a few times and still could not fathom where she was, how she had gotten there or why she was there. Her shoulder wound, still not fully healed, hurt abominably. The bandage smelled horrible and needed to be changed. She tried to touch it, but she could not move and her head felt like it was going to implode any moment.

"Ah, I see the Moxyprinoprine worked and you have made it alive to your final destination. Some have not been as lucky as you," said the man from the shadows with a thick Russian accent. "I now have in my possession the partner of the inestimable Lee Stetson, also known as Scarecrow. No one will come looking for you, Mrs. King, since all who knew you now think you are dead." He chuckled self-congratulatorily. His laugh had a disconcerting edge of insanity to it.

Amanda blinked several more times as her heart rate slowly accelerated and her blood oxygen levels slowly rose to normal. Her headache slowly receded to a dull roar, but her shoulder continued to hurt and blood seeped through the bandage. Still a little loopy, her first lucid thought was, _How did I get trapped in a James Bond movie?_

Moments later she was able to turn her head to look at the man from the shadows. _Oh, my gosh! It's Piotr Dmitriev. The Agency has been after him for years. His file said that he is known in some circles as the Russian Joseph Mengele. No telling how many agents he has used up testing experimental drugs and disposed of over the years. Is that why I'm here?_

A few more hours went by and Amanda was able to move again. She was dressed in army surplus OD greens and fitted with manacles around her wrists; her feet were left bare. She was told that she would be fed soon and her wound would be attended to. Then two of Dmitriev's men dragged her to a cell with a bed and little else. She was still very weak from being kept near death for three days and she struggled very little. She was dumped on the bed and left in semi-darkness, the only light coming through a tiny window in the cell door.

As she lay there staring into the darkness at the ceiling, her thoughts turned to Lee and her family. What must they be feeling at that moment, thinking that she was dead? Lee must be inconsolable. Her mother must be devastated, having lost her only child. And her boys, she hesitated to think of her boys and what they must be going through. And Joe, had they told Joe?

The only other thing that she knew at that moment was that if she was going to get out of this, she would have to do it herself.

**LSAKLSAKLSAK**

The funeral home reported the accident and the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of Amanda's body. The police investigated, but the only leads they had were that someone had seen a light blue metallic minivan leaving the scene of the accident. The witness had gotten a partial license plate and a vague description of the man that had shot the hearse driver. Time marched on with no further leads and no results. A memorial service had been held for Amanda, but her body had still not been recovered. There was a marker for her grave, but the grave remained empty.

Lee had exhausted all of his bereavement leave and he went back to work a week after the funeral. He didn't like going to his office in the Q bureau. All he had to do there was sit and stare across the room at Amanda's empty desk. It was then that he would torture himself with thoughts of Amanda and how much he missed her. Sometimes he would picture her there working away on this or that and he would talk to her. He wore Amanda's wedding ring on his right pinky now and turned it around and around on his finger whenever he was thinking about her.

To all intents and purposes, he was a mess. He rarely slept, rarely ate and drank way too much. He was known to frequent Ned's late at night and sit at the bar downing scotch until Ned sent him home.

Dotty received Amanda's life insurance benefit from IFF/the Agency in the sum of $500,000 including double indemnity, since her death had been ruled accidental. It was little compensation. No matter how much money they threw at her, it would not make the pain of losing her only child any less and it would not bring her back. One good thing though, Amanda's sons would go to college and drive decent cars. She immediately split the money and set up trust accounts in each of the boys' names with interest distribution twice yearly. The trust accounts would be released when each boy turned 21 years old.

**LSAKLSAKLSAK**

Amanda's life became very routine. She spent much of her time lying on her bunk staring at the ceiling. Sometimes she would choose a song and try to remember all the words. Her favorite, one that she could sing all the way through, was Aha's "Take on Me." Another was Culture Club's "Karma Chameleon." She smiled briefly at the thought that by the end of this, she would probably have a whole repertoire of songs.

About every other day she would be taken to the room with the padded table, where she would be strapped down and they would draw blood and inject her with extremely potent hallucinogens. Sometimes the drugs they gave her made her have very realistic hallucinations. During these times she would sit on her bunk and Lee would be sitting beside her. She would talk to him, just talk to him, about her fears, how much she loved him and missed him, how much she missed her mother and her boys, and how homesick she got sometimes. Lee would answer her the way her subconscious mind thought he might answer. Strangely enough, it was good therapy. Unbeknownst to her captors it kept her mentally strong and on an even keel emotionally and mentally.

After she had spent about eight weeks in her cell, she began to have dizzy spells and was found unconscious on the floor of her cell more than once. She became nauseous at the slightest provocation and she was tired all the time. At first her captors thought it was an as yet unencountered reaction to the drugs they were testing on her, but then another thought occurred to Dmitriev.

He had her hair cut short and dyed a mahogany red. He gave her blue contact lenses, sun glasses and an LA Dodgers baseball cap. She was dressed in jeans, a cotton button up shirt and tennis shoes. Quite a departure from the army greens she usually wore. Under guard of a big thug named Gunter, she was sent to a doctor, who told her she was about 9 weeks pregnant and so far everything was fine. She gave the doctor one of her rare smiles and thought, _Oh, my gosh! I probably conceived on our wedding night. Lee sure would get a kick out of that. _The doctor wrote her a prescription for prenatal vitamins and told her he wanted to see her again in one month.

Upon hearing that she was pregnant, Dmitriev was enraged. At first he threatened t o abort the baby, but then he saw it as a sort of leverage to keep Amanda in line and cooperative. She was told to say nothing to the doctor or her baby would be history. From now on he would have to carefully control the dosage of the drug he was testing on her.

Once, while out for a doctor's appointment, Amanda found a quarter on the sidewalk. She kept it carefully hidden and began to formulate a plan to precipitate her rescue and bring down Dmitriev at the same time. She remembered her Priority 1 code and devised a message that only Lee would understand. In the long hours she spent on her bunk, she repeated the message over and over under her breath until she could repeat it in her sleep.

Her diet wasn't great, consisting mostly of some ground meat and pasta or rice in some unidentifiable sauce. It had been months since she had seen anything resembling fruits or vegetables. Exercise space was minimal, since her cell measured about 10 feet by 10 feet, so she did pushups, sit-ups, jumping jacks, grasshoppers and jogged in place or paced back and forth like the caged animal she was.

One day she was out for her first ultrasound appointment. Dieter, the thug she was with today, was bored and did not pay much attention to her. She saw her baby for the first time and heard its heartbeat. _Oh, Lee. How I wish you were here with me now. _When the doctor asked if she wanted to know the sex of the baby, she declined. _This is something I want to share with Lee, if at all possible, _she thought.

She came out of the doctor's office with several ultrasound stills and the precious quarter in her pocket. When they got outside, Amanda thought, _It's now or never._ She pushed the thug with all of her strength and took off running at full speed down the street. She had to lose him and find a pay phone. She dodged as the thug shot at her several times, but missed. All things considered, she was in pretty good shape, despite the fact that she spent a good portion of the last few months in a 10x10 cell whacked out on hallucinogens and was now just over 5 months pregnant.

Luckily, the thug lost sight of her very quickly and she was able find a pay phone without wasting too much time. Lee had told her that she could run avoidance patterns with the best of them and she put those skills to good use now. She deposited the precious quarter in the pay phone and dialed the IFF number.

She listened to it ring and Francine picked up, "IFF. How may I help you?"

"Priority 1 X2Y7 Red Echo. Panda is alive and well. Repeat, Panda is alive and well. Debbie Anne wants to come home, but she needs someone to pick her up. Dmitriev in charge. Warehouse located at 544 Meeker Street. Lee, I love you and I miss you." Amanda was about to hang up the phone when the thug came up behind her. He put her in a sleeper hold and covered her mouth. She struggled a little and went unconscious. The thug hung up the phone and dragged her to the car parked nearby. He took her back to the warehouse, where she was unceremoniously dumped on her bunk and locked in her cell once more.

Later in the evening, a thug came to her cell and tapped her on the face to wake her up. She roused and blinked a few times. She changed back into her army greens and her manacles were put back on. She was taken to the room with the padded table once again. They drew blood and she was injected as usual with a strong hallucinogen and taken back to her cell.

**LSAKLSAKLSAK**

Billy, Francine and Lee sat in Billy's office, as Francine played the tape.

"…Lee, I love you and I miss you." Then there were sounds of a struggle and the phone went dead. The tape clicked off.

"It can't be her, Billy. I saw her lifeless body at the hospital. I touched her face," said Lee in a choked voice.

"98.6% voice match to Amanda and that was Amanda's old Priority 1 code," said Francine. "The call came from a pay phone here in D.C. Dmitriev and an address in the warehouse district. What was that about Panda and Debbie Anne?"

Lee smiled sadly, wanting desperately to believe that Amanda was alive. "This is a message she knew that only I would understand. During Stemwinder, Joe sent Amanda a coded message through the newspaper to let her know that her family was ok and that they missed her. Panda is a name her mother called her when she was a little girl and Debbie Anne was her best friend in elementary school."

"And she loves you and misses you. I knew there was something more to that relationship than you both let on," said Billy.

Lee smiled at this and thought, _Billy, you don't know the half of it._

Lee asked Francine to play the tape again. As he listened to his wife's voice, a voice he thought that he would never hear again, he closed his eyes and tears leaked from them. "This has to be on the level. It just has to be."

"I know, Lee," said Billy and grasped Lee's shoulder. Then he glanced up to catch Francine's eye. "Strike teams ready by 0600. We're going to bring back our Amanda and break Dmitriev at long last. Are you with me, Scarecrow?" he asked and gently jostled Lee's shoulder.

Lee looked up with tear bright eyes. "Let's bring Amanda home, Billy."

**LSAKLSAKLSAK**

Lee stood still for a second before he unlocked the cell door. _This was the last one. She has to be in here. She just has to. _He looked through the tiny window in the door and all he could see in the semi-darkness was an indistinct human shape on the bed. He finally got the door unlocked and it swung open. Lee could only stand in the doorway and stare. She lay on the bed unmoving, unaware that freedom was at hand. She lay on her right side, her right arm under her head. Her left arm cradled her stomach, noticeably rounded with her advancing pregnancy. There were manacles on her wrists.

Lee crept forward and knelt beside the bed. This couldn't be his Amanda with her short red hair. He touched her face and said, "Amanda?"

She roused and opened her eyes, blue eyes. She sat up and swung her feet to the floor. She realized who it was and reached for him. Lee moved away from her, but she was able to catch his hand and really feel it.

"Wow, the drugs they gave me must be working overtime. This is one cool hallucination. My wedding ring," she said, as she saw her wedding ring on his pinky and ran her thumb over it. She smiled through her tears and looked up. "Is it really you? Are you really here?" she said and reached to smooth the hair back from his forehead. Only Amanda had ever touched him that way.

Lee nodded and he took both of her hands in his. "It's really me. I'm really here."

"I knew you would come for me," she said and sniffed as tears began to roll down her face unchecked.

"Yes, Panda. I got your message and I'm here to bring you home," he said, as he kissed her and sat down next to her on the bunk. "I love you, Mrs. Stetson."

"I love you, Mr. Stetson," Amanda said and touched his face. "I have something else to tell you."

She laid Lee's hand on her stomach. She smiled through tears and nodded. "Close as I can figure, it probably happened just before we went to California."

Lee blinked and his voice was suddenly serious, "Are you all right? They didn't hurt you … or force you, did they?"

"No. Luckily, I wasn't the object of anyone's lust. I may need to be checked for hallucinogens in my bloodstream and be moderately underweight. I might be a little dehydrated and have low blood sugar, too, but other than that, the baby and I are just fine. They let me visit a doctor and gave me prenatal vitamins. In fact, that's how I got a message to you. I gave my handler the slip and called IFF. Those avoidance patterns you taught me came in pretty handy, by the way," Amanda explained.

Lee stood up and pulled Amanda to her feet. He wrapped her in the tightest, most secure hug he could muster. She was shivering, but Lee couldn't tell if it was from excitement or because she was cold. Then, Amanda pulled back slightly and drew in a deep breath. She put both of her hands on his face and kissed him. She whispered, "You're really here. It's you. It's really you. I couldn't believe it at first. I thought I was hallucinating again."

Lee blinked and looked around. For a few moments, dazzled by Amanda's return to life, Lee forgot that they stood in a cramped cell in a dirty warehouse. Lee smiled and pulled up her hands by the manacle chain. He said, "Do you think it would be a good idea if we got these off of you and got out of here?"

Lee got out his trusty double diamond and gave it to Amanda, who picked both cuffs in record time. She tossed the manacles on the floor and kicked them aside as she grabbed the ultrasound stills from under her pillow and stuffed them in her pocket. Then Lee noticed she was cold and barefooted, so he wrapped her in the army issue wool blanket from the bed and swept her up into his arms. The hallucinogens and low blood sugar had made her dizzy, so Amanda rested her head on his strong shoulder her face close to his, as they moved through the warehouse.

Billy spotted them and waved them over. Lee came to stand next to Billy and carefully set Amanda on her feet and steadied her in front of him. He put his arms protectively and perhaps possessively around her waist. Francine dropped what she was doing nearby and gave instructions to the other operatives, before she came over, too.

"Hello, sir," Amanda said to Billy and squinted in the bright light. Francine saw her difficulty and handed her a pair of Agency issue sunglasses from her pocket.

"Good to see you, Amanda. Dmitriev and his thugs are in custody. It seems they were testing hallucinogens, psychotropics and truth serums for the Russian government. The other test subjects have been released and are being checked over by the med team. Are you all right?" said Billy.

"Yeah," said Amanda. She reached to take Lee's hand and bring it to her face.

"We should have you thoroughly checked out, just the same. You may have to spend a few days in the hospital while we assess the damage. Is there something else you two need to tell me?" asked Billy, noticing Amanda's advanced pregnancy.

"It can wait for debriefing, Billy. Right now, I just want to get her checked over and out of harm's way," said Lee.

"Good enough," said Billy and stepped forward to give Amanda a hug. "I'll expect you two in my office ASAP," he said smiling and winked at Amanda.

Francine, who had stood by silent up to this point, said, "Good to have you back, Amanda." And she too stepped forward to give Amanda a hug.

Lee kissed the top of Amanda's head and said, "Let's go."

After the med team checked Amanda from head to toe and stem to stern, she was released to Lee's care.

Amanda was light headed and nauseous with low blood sugar, so Lee stopped to get her a large chocko-blocko shake from Marvelous Marvin's on the way to the Agency for debriefing.


	3. Chapter 3 - Reminiscence & Revelations

**Chapter 3 – Reminiscence & Revelations **

As they sat in his car outside of the Agency, Lee caught sight of Amanda's wedding ring on his pinky, as his hands rested on the steering wheel. He paused for a second and said, "That reminds me. I have a few things you'll probably want back."

He reached in his pocket and brought out the black velvet pouch. He showed it to Amanda, as he faced her and dumped the contents of the pouch into her palm. He watched as she touched what was there with a tentative finger.

He took her diamond heart pendant from the tangle and said softly, "Come here." He clasped the necklace at the back of her neck and turned her to face him again. Amanda picked up the heart and held it for a few seconds before she let it drop and settle to its normal spot just below her throatlatch.

He worked Amanda's wedding ring from his pinky and looked in her eyes as he slid the ring back on her finger. He plucked the engagement ring from her palm and slid it back on as well. Amanda remembered the first time he put the engagement ring on her finger and how he had smiled exactly the same way.

Amanda took Lee's wedding ring and slid it back on his finger. They both smiled and kissed. "I don't care what it takes. We're never taking these off again. Agreed?" said Lee.

"Agreed," Amanda said and nodded. She extended her pinky and Lee hooked his pinky with hers in a pinky swear. Amanda put her hand on her stomach, thinking. "You know, we're going to have to tell Billy that we're married due to certain small developments. They may not let us work together anymore."

"Yes, we will have to tell Billy that we are married, but I think he will be happy about it. They'll probably put you on special assignment or medical leave. They won't let you go out into the field with me, due to your (ahem) condition. Too many risks to both you and the baby," Lee said, by way of softening the blow.

"I know that. I'll probably grow roots at my desk in the Q bureau and be buried in paperwork. But as long as you're there, I think I can endure it and stay sane," she assured him.

"C'mon," said Lee. "Let's get this over with."

After Lee got Amanda through security and a ride in the elevator surrounded by coats, Billy and Francine welcomed them into his office. Billy motioned for them to sit together on the couch and he leaned back in his chair to have a good look at them. He was silent for a few moments while he tented his fingers and smiled.

"How are you, Amanda?" Billy asked.

"Much better, sir. The light still bothers me. May I keep my sunglasses on for a bit longer?" Amanda asked.

"Yes, you may. As of this moment you are on administrative leave until we can assess how this has affected you and clear you to come back to work. I'm sorry, Amanda, but it is standard operating procedure in cases like these," Billy said with a sad smile.

Lee put his arm around Amanda's shoulders and said, "Amanda, I should have seen this coming. You'll be subjected to a psych evaluation and a polygraph and you'll be questioned about what happened while you were a captive of Dmitriev and whether you said anything you shouldn't have."

Amanda looked up at Lee with real fear in her eyes. "Are they going to grill me and threaten me with drugs and torture like they did during Stemwinder?"

Lee looked up and caught Billy's eye. "No, Amanda. You were instrumental in breaking a major Russian espionage group on American soil and capturing a notorious Russian criminal. If anything, you should get a commendation," Billy reassured her. "Now, I want to know about you two."

Lee and Amanda looked at each other and they both smiled and nodded. Amanda inclined her head, an indication that she wanted Lee to start.

"Well, Billy. It's a long story," Lee began.

"Come on. Out with it, Scarecrow. I've got all day," Billy coaxed good naturedly.

Lee looked at Amanda and asked, "How far back should I go?"

"Spring Cleaning?" she suggested.

"Oh, okay. After the bomb explosion at the park, I was frantic. I got to the park and it was total chaos. I couldn't find Amanda anywhere. Then I saw her standing on a hill away from the action. I was so happy to know that she was unharmed that I hugged her. I think that in that moment I knew that I cared about her and I wanted to do something about being more than just partners, more than just friends. After that case was over we started spending time together outside work. I started letting her do more and we started working better as a team.

"After that was the Steven Sallee case. After that case was solved we had dinner together at Amanda's house, since her family was out of town. We were on the couch having coffee and cake and were just about to kiss, when Amanda's family returned home. I quickly vacated and met Amanda later on her back porch. I sort of grazed her lips with mine and as I looked back at her, I'll never forget the look of surprise and wonder on her face as she turned to watch me leave." He turned to Amanda and said, "You know I've grown to love that look and never saw it quite enough."

Lee tapped his chin for a moment, thinking, "Then came the Utopia Now case. We got caught and then escaped. We were chained together and waded through swamps and God only knows what, trying to stay one step ahead of our pursuers. When it got dark, we hunkered down and tried to get warm. We were both scared. Yeah, I can admit that now. For the first time in a long time I actually looked in Amanda's eyes. I saw fear, yes, but other things, too. I saw strength and courage and something else I wasn't quite ready to define yet. We were talking about if we didn't make it and were about to kiss for the first time when our pursuers caught up to us and started shooting.

"Billy, do you remember that day you and Francine came up to the Q bureau and the door was locked? Well, Amanda and I had been trying to get closer for a long time, but we always kept getting interrupted for one reason or another. After a long string of near miss kisses, that day I just decided to take matters into my own hands. That was the day Amanda and I had our first real kiss. Just before Stemwinder, we began dating in earnest and spending a lot more time together outside of work.

"Then came Stemwinder. That's when I finally got up the nerve to tell Amanda that I love her. I had it in my mind to tell her goodbye and strike out on my own. Then Amanda said something to me that made me really sit up and take notice. Amanda would you care to tell them what you said that changed my mind?" Lee said and gestured toward Amanda with his hand.

Amanda blinked and thought for a moment. She said, "I remember I was standing there with my hands on Lee's shoulders and my nose just inches from his. I said, 'Wait a minute. You can't just walk into my life, hand me a package, tell me to give it to the man in the red hat, tell me you love me and then walk right out of my life again.'" Amanda blinked again and smiled at the memory of the look on Lee's face when he heard this.

"After an argument over whether she was coming with me or not and just before we took off together, Amanda told me that she loved me, too," Lee said. He smiled and squeezed Amanda's hand before he continued with his story. "It was a few days later that I realized that she had been there for me so many times, even when I thought she didn't need to be, even when I didn't want her to be. And stubbornly, she stayed, despite opposition or possible danger to herself. Most importantly, I realized that none of the women I dated before I met Amanda or since were right for me, because none of them would have gone to the lengths Amanda has to show me what a good friend she can be or how much she cares about me and later how much she loves me." Amanda squeezed his hand back and he looked at her. She smiled and looked back at him with tear bright eyes.

"Next was Addi Birol and Night Crawler. When Birol took Amanda, I was out of my mind. I was a man possessed. I couldn't stand to think about him hurting her and I felt so powerless knowing there was nothing I could do to help her. By the time I finally got to her, she had been subjected to days of sleep deprivation and psychological torture. At first she thought she was hallucinating. I had to prove to her that I was really there. We didn't think we were going to get out of there alive and I didn't want us to die without Amanda knowing my intentions, so I asked her to marry me. She said yes and told me we were the luckiest people on the face of the earth. Later, back at the Q bureau, I gave her an engagement ring. I can still remember coming into the room, seeing the look of wonder on her face as she held it up to the light and her smile as I put it on her finger," he said and smiled at the memory.

"Then there was the PD-2 incident. We were working on being seen as a couple by Amanda's family and getting used to being engaged," Lee said. He brought Amanda's hand to his lips. "I was walking home from a date with Amanda when I was attacked and injected with PD-2. She came to my rescue and drove off my attackers. She made me go see Doc Kelford the next morning and to tell you the truth, she was probably the only person that could have made me see a doctor. The next evening Amanda was cooking dinner for me when you came to her house to tell us that I had been injected with PD-2 and I had only 72 hours to live. Amanda was a rock through all of that even though I know she was scared to death of losing me. Thanks to her courage and unfaltering support, I'm still here. All that went to prove to me that Amanda could stand with me through just about anything and it served to bring us even closer together.

"Next was Nick Grant. That guy is trouble on two legs. We wrapped up that case and to your astonishment we sped away in the limousine. It was our wedding day and we just made it to our appointment with a justice of the peace in Marion, VA. The following week we were actually on our honeymoon when Amanda got shot and died from her injuries, but was actually kidnapped by Dmitriev.

"Long story short, we have been married for just over 5 months," Lee said. He reached to touch Amanda's stomach. Amanda smiled and put her hand on top of Lee's. "And we are expecting our first baby around Thanksgiving. Amanda said she probably got pregnant before we went to California. Amanda, do you have anything to add?" Lee asked.

"Ah, no. I think that about covers it," Amanda answered, her voice a little choked with emotion.

"I knew it. I knew a long time ago that you kids would get together. In fact, I think I knew it before you did," Billy enthused. He looked at Amanda and said, "I've known Lee a long time, Amanda and I had never seen him so happy. I can say with some certainty, it is because of you."

"And now for the million dollar question: How will this affect Amanda and me working together?" Lee asked.

Billy tapped his chin with a forefinger for several moments, thinking. "Dr. Smith probably won't like it, but you have already proven to be a very effective team on several occasions. I don't see why you can't continue to run the Q bureau together, once Amanda is cleared to come back to work and her security status is reinstated," Billy said and looked at Amanda. "You will be working in a purely base support capacity, since you will not be allowed to go out into the field, due to your condition and the inherent risks to your health and safety. By that time, you'll probably be on maternity leave very soon. By the way, we have an excellent OB/GYN here at the Agency and full insurance coverage for maternity."

Through all of this Francine had been silent and somewhat in awe of what Lee and Amanda had had to endure in order to get to this point in time with their health, their sanity and their relationship intact. If only she could find a man that would go to such lengths for her, her life would be almost perfect.

"Now for the real reason we're here," Billy said. "This will be recorded for security purposes." And he pushed the Record button the tape recorder on the desk. "What we know about how Amanda King was presumed dead and kidnapped by Dmitriev. Amanda, what was the last thing you remember before waking up in the warehouse?"

Amanda tapped her chin and thought for few moments. "I remember being shot and the hot stinging pain as the bullet hit my chest. I watched it come through the windshield and I remember being fascinated by how the blood misted as the bullet hit my body. Then, everything went black." Lee made a sound in his throat that showed his discomfort at this.

Amanda continued, "The next thing I remember was being in my hospital room. I had begun to come to and the doctor gave me a shot that made me unable to move and feel like I was suffocating. The last thing I heard was the heart monitor flat lining, before everything went black again. The next thing I remember was waking up in the room with the padded table with Dmitriev standing next to me with an empty syringe in his hand.

"After I was able to move, I was issued the clothes you found me in and fitted with manacles on my wrists. Then they tossed me in the cell where Lee found me. For months I lived in silence and semi-darkness, nothing to hear, but the sound of my own voice. The cell must have been partially sound proofed, because I didn't know there were other experimental subjects until I was rescued.

"Living in semi-darkness as I was, one day just ran into the next. I think my circadian rhythm is going to be messed up for awhile. As close as I could figure as every other day they would take me to the room with the padded table, draw blood and inject me with powerful hallucinogens and then bring me back to my cell. This stuff would make me think Lee was sitting on my bed next to me, listening to me chatter for hours about anything and everything. I never talked about anything relating to work. Mostly I talked about home, how I missed my mother and my sons, how homesick I was, what kind of foods I missed and craved, our relationship and my aspirations for the future, if I ever got out of there. Once I even discussed names for the baby. He would answer, but I think it was just my subconscious mind extrapolating what I think he would have said. That's when the dose was relatively low. As it got higher, I began to think there were snakes, rats or scorpions on the floor and giant spiders and bats on the walls. Once they found out I was pregnant, the doses came down again. Dmitriev threatened to terminate the pregnancy more than once, but he also saw it as leverage to solicit my cooperation and keep me in line.

"Then, just yesterday, it seems so long ago now, I was going to an ultrasound appointment. Lee, I wish you had been there. I saw our baby and heard its heartbeat for the first time. The thug that was supposed to watch me was bored and inattentive. I pushed him and ran. He shot at me several times, but missed. Those avoidance patterns you taught me came in really handy. I made it to a payphone and made the call to IFF with a quarter I had found and kept carefully hidden. Francine answered, but I didn't have time to chat. I recited the message and just as I was about to hang up, the thug caught up to me. He put me in a sleeper hold and put me out for the count. When I woke up, I was back in my cell. I changed back into my army greens and they took me to be injected again.

"Luckily, the drugs had started to wear off when Lee found me in my cell this morning and here we are," she said, spreading her hands.

Billy said, "Well, that's quite a story, but it tells us nothing of how you got there. Francine?"

"Thank you, Billy," Francine said at last breaking her silence and stepping forward. "Apparently they knocked Amanda out at the hospital with Moxyprinoprine, an experimental zombie drug that keeps the injectee in a near death comatose state until neutralized. This rendered Amanda immobile and brought her metabolism down to near undetectable, thus making her appear dead. Then they faked the flat line and code blue and told you she was dead.

"We had our California office check out any hospital personnel that came into contact with Amanda and they came up with one name, Dr. Xander Novachek, a Russian national aka Dr. Randall Neelly." Lee looked at Amanda, who had taken off her sunglasses.

"You mean he only saved Amanda's life so he could fake her death and send her to be a lab rat in some Russian drug testing lab?" Lee said through clenched teeth. "I'd like to be there during his interrogation."

"That can be arranged, but I don't think Amanda is going to let you out of her sight for at least a little while. Am I right Amanda?" Billy said, grinning. Amanda just nodded in reply.

Francine continued, "The blue metallic minivan we found in the warehouse along with the license plate matched the van and the partial plate that was seen driving away from the freight exit of the airport after the hearse driver was shot in the head. Of the weapons we recovered from the warehouse, one of them is bound to be the one used to shoot the hearse driver."

"We found Amanda's casket in the warehouse along with an oxygen tank and mask and an IV bag of saline solution. This is how they got her to D.C. still alive. They put her in the casket and sent her through Dulles. The thugs in the van intercepted the casket and brought it to the warehouse, where Amanda was revived. The California office is still checking for accomplices on the California end. As for who shot Amanda we have no leads. However, we do know that it had to do with a dispute over salvage rights of a Spanish galleon named _La Bodega, _which sank off the coast of California near Las Palmas in the early 18th century. They are checking out several prominent salvage companies operating in the Las Palmas area. For now, that's about all we have."

"Thank you, Francine," said Billy and he turned off the recorder. "I guess that about does it. Amanda, I know you're tired and hungry and want to see your family, so I'll let you go now. Make an appointment with the Agency doctor on the way out." He touched Amanda and Lee on the shoulder and said, "And congratulations you two on your marriage and your baby."


	4. Chapter 4 - Back to You and Me

**Chapter 4 – Back to You and Me**

"I know you have to be hungry. Is there anything in particular you've been craving? Pregnant women do have cravings, don't they? Or so I've heard," Lee asked and kissed the tip of her nose, as they sat in his car.

"Starving. I didn't get dinner last night such as it was," she said and thought for a few moments. "I want a big thick juicy steak medium rare, salad with lots of tomatoes and cucumbers, baked sweet potato, and French bread. I'd kill for some broccoli right now," Amanda ticked off each item on her fingers.

Lee inclined his head and kissed her hand, as he said, "Lady Stetson, your wish is my command."

After a brief stop at the supermarket, he took her to his apartment and as they pulled up in front of his building, Lee asked, "Do you need to take a shower or anything?"

Amanda said, "What I really want is to take a long soak in a hot bath."

Lee smiled and said, "That can be arranged." Then he snapped his fingers. "I've still got your luggage in my bedroom closet. I kept forgetting to drop it off at your house, so it's been in my apartment all this time, tucked in with the clothes you keep here. I'm sure there is something in there you can still wear."

He got out and helped Amanda out of the car. Since she was still barefooted, Lee carried her up the front walk and set her on her feet. When they got to door of Lee's apartment, Lee unlocked the door. When Amanda tried to step inside, Lee swept her into his arms once more and carried her across the threshold. Amanda smiled and kissed him on the cheek.

As Lee set her on her feet, he smoothed a bit of hair behind her ear and said, "I thought I would never get to do that."

Lee settled Amanda at the breakfast bar with a glass of sparkling red grape juice, while he prepared her bath and laid out towels. Amanda found it a bit humorous that he would peek around the corner every so often to make sure she was still there, like he thought she might disappear again. And she would be there, sitting at the breakfast bar, smiling and looking at him quizzically. Once she even toasted him with her grape juice and said, "Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere."

Lee came into the kitchen with a towel over his arm and bowed, gesturing toward the bathroom. "Lady Stetson, your bath awaits."

She took his proffered arm and said, "Why thank you kind sir."

He led her to the bathroom and said, "I need to do a few things for dinner and I'll be right back."

They parted ways at the bathroom door. Moments later, Lee was back. Before Amanda got into the tub, she picked up her army greens and handed them to Lee.

"Burn these," she said.

"With pleasure," he answered.

Lee held Amanda's hand as she stepped into the tub. Though her hair was colored different and shorter, she had more scars now and the shape of her body had changed considerably with her advancing pregnancy, she was still his Amanda, his wife, the love of his life.

"Mmmm… this is heaven," she said as she sank into the steaming water and the frothy bubbles. "Roses. My favorite."

"I bought that before we went to California. I thought we could take a bath together when we got back. It never happened," Lee said, sadly.

"Care to join me?" Amanda asked, a bit of mischief in her eyes.

"Ah, no. Not this time. I'll let you enjoy your soak and I'll get the rest of dinner on. Shampoo and whatever else you might need is on the shelf. Call me when you want to get out or I'll come and get you when dinner is ready, whichever comes first. I don't want you to slip and fall," Lee said seriously, as he tapped her nose and kissed the top of her head. With that he left the bathroom.

Amanda sank down further in the steamy water and closed her eyes. A soft groan of pure pleasure escaped her lips and she smiled blissfully. She drowsed for another half hour and after awhile she roused. Then, she washed her hair and gave herself a good scrub down. She looked with horror at her legs, which she hadn't shaved in nearly six months, but decided that could wait. Lee had purposely left the door slightly ajar so that he could hear her if she called, at least that's what he told himself and he stuck his head in a few times to check on her. Once, when he did this, Amanda called to him, "Lee!"

"You bellowed, Milady," Lee answered.

"Could you scrub my back?" She asked.

Lee smiled and knelt beside the tub. He took the washcloth from Amanda's hand and he soaped it up. Amanda crossed her arms on the side of the tub. She closed her eyes and laid her head there, as Lee began to scrub, making circles on her back. Then he gently scratched her back through the washcloth as he scrubbed, which made Amanda groan with pleasure. He rinsed her off and playfully nuzzled her neck. She felt really clean for the first time in forever.

Then Amanda sighed and said, "I'd better get out of here before I don't want to."

Lee stood up and Amanda looked up at him. He offered her his hand and Amanda took it, as she stood up. She stepped out of the tub and Lee wrapped her in a huge fluffy bath sheet. He scooped her up and took her out to the bedroom, where he set her on the bed began to gently dry her.

"Such good service. I'll have to come to this hotel again… and again… and again," Amanda said and played with Lee's hair as he knelt to dry off her stomach, buttocks and legs.

Lee smiled and said, "We aim to please… only you." He stood and tapped the tip of her nose and kissed it for good measure. "I'll leave your hair to you. Dinner in 15 minutes. I need to check on the steaks."

Amanda saw her suitcases on the bed and opened one. She found her toiletries kit along with clean underwear and socks, but none of the clothes in her suitcase would fit her anymore. So she filched one of Lee's white t-shirts and a pair of grey sweatpants from his drawer. She found her favorite sweater in his closet and put it to her nose. She smiled and closed her eyes, as she inhaled the scent that was uniquely Lee. It was a curious combination of soap, some woodsy cologne and just pure Lee. She got dressed and found that the sweater, though very loose before her pregnancy, fit a bit more snugly over her rounded belly.

When she returned to the bathroom, a stranger stared back at her from the mirror. There was little she could do about her short red hair at the moment, but she took out the contacts and threw them in the trash. She glanced in the mirror and saw her own eyes staring back at her once again. Lee had once told her that her eyes were the color of good aged cognac. She smiled and began to brush her teeth. She brushed her hair and padded quietly into the kitchen on stocking feet.

Lee stood at the stove stirring something in a pot. Amanda came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. She rested her cheek on his back between his shoulder blades and just stood there with her eyes closed, still. She let out a long sigh. Lee let her savor being close to him for a few moments longer before he turned in her arms and pulled her into a strong embrace.

"Hey there, Panda. You feeling any better?"

"Much better. I haven't felt this clean in ages," Amanda said, running the flat of her hands up and down Lee's upper chest. She glanced up and met his eyes. Brown eyes stared back at him, Amanda's eyes.

Lee smiled and gave her a quick kiss on the lips and said, "You're never going to get your dinner at this rate." He settled her once again at the breakfast bar, refreshed her glass of grape juice and went back to preparing dinner.

Amanda held up her glass of grape juice and took a sip. She looked at it quizzically and something occurred to her. She asked, "Why do you have sparkling grape juice?"

_Of all the million things she could be talking about right now._ Lee smiled at her question and said, "I have Dotty and the boys over for dinner quite often and it's something fun for the boys to drink while the adults drink wine," Lee explained. "I even serve it in wine glasses to make them feel grown up."

Amanda smiled at this last and ran her finger around the rim of her glass, lost in thought for a moment. "You've gotten to know my family quite well over the past few months?"

"Yes, I have. Dotty knows that we are married, but I swore her to secrecy. I've begun to love those boys like they were my own and they see me as a good friend helping out your mother during a tough time," Lee said and turned to face her. "Do you want to eat in the dining room or here on the breakfast bar?"

"Here is fine," Amanda answered. "Now that I'm settled, I don't feel much like moving. I just want to be close to you right now."

Moments later, Lee set a bowl of salad on the bar, followed by steaks, a baked potato and a sweet potato, steamed broccoli with lemon butter and thickly sliced French bread still warm from the oven. Lee set the bar with plates, silverware and linen napkins. He dimmed the lights, set out two candles and lit them. He poured himself a glass of decent vintage Beaujolais and took off his apron. Then, he began serving the meal.

"This is excellent wine. Would you like a taste? It won't hurt."

Amanda took a sip and hummed her pleasure. "Excellent."

"It's the same wine you chose for dinner the night Billy interrupted us with news that I had been injected with PD-2," Lee said. "It has become a favorite of mine." Amanda remembered that night again and how scared she had been at hearing that Lee had only 72 hours to live.

Amanda cut into her steak and took a bite, savoring the flavor as she chewed. "Oh, my gosh! That's good," she exclaimed and tore into the rest of her meal with gusto.

When she was done, he refilled their glasses and led her to the living room. He set the glasses on the coffee table and kicked off his shoes. His jacket and tie had been discarded long before. He sat down and Amanda sat next to him. Lee put his feet on the coffee table and she drew her feet up under her and snuggled down. She laid her head on his shoulder and let out a long sigh. She was safe at long last, she was in the arms of the man that she loved, her tummy was full, and the baby was healthy.

It was the end to one of the longest days of her life. Though it had been only the day before, the phone call that had resulted in her freedom and being reunited with the man she loved seemed to have happened a century ago. The last few days had begun to take their toll. Amanda was tired and she fell asleep almost immediately. There were so many things Lee wanted to tell her, to show her, but that could wait. Lee smiled and gently stroked the shaggy tresses at the back of her head.

When he was sure he would not disturb her, he got up to prepare the bed and carried her into the bedroom. She stirred only slightly when he put her on the bed and tucked her in. He ran the backs of his fingers down the side of her face and kissed her forehead. He whispered, "You're safe. Sleep now. I love you, Panda."

Lee cleaned up the kitchen and joined Amanda in the bed a half hour later. He set the alarm for 9:00am and snuggled Amanda down next to him. Then, he too fell into a deep restful sleep, the first in a long, long time.

**LSAKLSAKLSAK**

Lee and Amanda awoke with the alarm still cuddled together. Lee felt Amanda sit up and heard her sharp intake of breath. She was disoriented and for a split second, she was back on the uncomfortable bunk in the dark cramped cell. She blinked and looked around.

Lee sat up and reclined on his elbow. He smiled as he reached to run the back of his fingers down her cheek. As she turned to look at him, he saw the alarm and confusion in her eyes and he asked, "Are you okay?"

It took her a moment to realize that this wasn't just another hallucination. She really had been rescued and she was in bed with Lee at his apartment.

"Yeah," she said. "Just a little out of place for a second."

"Give it some time," he said. "It'll pass."

She stretched and noticed she still wore her clothes from the night before. "Why am I still dressed?"

Lee continued to stroke her face as he said, "I wasn't sure yet what liberties I am allowed to take with you and you looked so peaceful once I got you settled, snuggled down in the bed all safe and warm. You were so exhausted and I just didn't have the heart to disturb you again."

Amanda lay back down and turned toward Lee. She pushed him onto his back and found herself atop him with her hands on his chest and her nose just inches from his. She blinked and a blissful smile came to her lips. She took Lee's hand and placed it on her belly. "I think our little friend wants to say hello."

Lee felt a tiny jab into his palm. A look of sheer amazement spread over his face. Up to that moment, the fact that he was going to be a father had not been real to him.

"There really is a tiny human being in there and I'm the father," Lee said, his eyes filled with wonder and excitement as he stared into Amanda's. Amanda nodded and grinned even wider.

Amanda began drawing designs on his bare chest with her finger and asked, "How do you feel about that?"

Lee put his hands on either side of her face and said, "Oh, Amanda. I have the woman I love back with me and we're going to have a baby. I've never been so happy in all of my life. I'm so happy, I'm over the moon."

Amanda smiled through tears and said, "I love you so much."

"I love you, too," he said and smiled. Lee glanced at the clock. It read 9:23.

Amanda looked down at her clothes and plucked at her sweater. "I can't go anywhere dressed like this and I don't think there is anything else in your closet or my suitcase that will fit me. Can we stop and get something for me to wear?"

Lee nodded and said, "Sure, but first we need to feed you and the baby. Anything you have a yen for this morning?"

"Waffles. Yeah, blueberry waffles with lots of whipped cream."

"Okay, get cleaned up and we can go," said Lee.

Amanda rummaged in her suitcase and found a pair of tennis shoes. She put them on and went to brush her hair and her teeth. Lee was taking a shower and she saw him watching her as she stood in front of the mirror.

"I see you peeking at me," said Amanda playfully, as she ran the brush through her hair.

Lee turned off the water and opened the curtain. Amanda had seen him naked before, but not for a very long time. Lee stood still, dripping on the bath mat, as she touched a scar on his right side. He had gotten that from a bullet graze in a caper with Nick Grant just a few days before they got married. Lee had called him trouble on two legs. There was the scar on his right shoulder from a bullet wound and a Christmas Eve spent in an isolated cabin with Russian operatives. They hadn't known each other more than a few months then, as she recalled. There was a shallow knife wound in his left shoulder, a nasty gift from a bitter actor who had played a spy on TV and though she could not see it, she knew there was a bullet wound in the back of his right thigh from the Vigilant case. There was a knife slash on his upper right arm from the Barnstorm case and a barely visible crease on his forehead, where he had smacked it trying to climb through her bedroom window during Stemwinder. Those were the scars that he had gotten since they had begun their association and that she knew about first hand. He had many more, but she had never had the courage to ask about them.

She had her own scars, though not as many as Lee. She touched the place on her own left shoulder that still pained her occasionally and made her self-conscious because it was so ugly. She looked at her wrists and the wear marks where the manacles had rubbed. The graze on her left side just above her hip bone, where Lee had had to pretend to shoot her to appease some baddies he was in with. She had gotten a presidential commendation for that one. The barely visible mark on her left cheekbone, where Addi Birol had hit her repeatedly and the numerous needle tracks on her arms that would fade with time. By Amanda's way of thinking, they had both had their own taste of hell and both of them had sacrificed much in the name of national security. One could only hope that their life together would settle down to some semblance of normalcy.

Amanda looked down and crossed her arms over her chest. She scuffed her tennis shoe clad foot on the tile as she thought this. Lee, sensing her mood had changed, gently lifted her head with a curled finger under her chin so that he could look into her eyes.

"Hey, Panda." Lee said, calling her by his newly adopted nickname for her. "What's this all about?"

Amanda said, "I was thinking about all of our scars, how we've had our own taste of hell and how much we've sacrificed in the name of national security. I guess I just need some time to get used to being human again, being free… and being loved." She sighed and shrugged her shoulders.

"I know. I've had to do it. You'll never be alone in this. I'll be here every step of the way," said Lee. He was not trying to minimize her pain and confusion, just tell her that it was okay and that it was something they could work through together. Amanda understood this and smiled as she reached to touch his face and draw his head down for a kiss.

He reached for a towel and began to dry himself off, but Amanda took it from his hands and began to dry his back. He shook his head and gently took it back. This resulted in a little struggle over the towel, which Lee won. He kissed her nose and said, "For now Lady Stetson is the only one who gets pampered around here."

Lee smiled as he touched her stomach and said, "Is it just me or is there less room in here than there used to be." He sidled past her to open the door and check the time. 10:27.

Lee wrapped the towel around his waist and snapped his fingers. He pulled her into an embrace and kind of swayed with her in his arms as he said, "I guess I've enjoyed having you to myself so much that I sort of forgot that there are other people who want to see you and know that you are all right. I need to call your mother and tell her to expect me for dinner and invite Joe." He kissed her on the forehead and said, "I have a surprise for her and the boys." Amanda smiled at this and turned him loose so that he could get dressed at last.


	5. Chapter 5 - HaveBeenGreatlyExaggerated

**Chapter 5 – …Have Been Greatly Exaggerated **

Lee pulled up in front of Amanda's house and turned off the engine. He looked at Amanda, who sat in the passenger seat. She looked up at him and smiled nervously. He took her hand and enveloped it in both of his. He brought her hand to his lips and looked at her with eyes that sparkled with love and happiness.

"It's okay, Panda," Lee said. "It's okay." When she withdrew her hand and became fascinated with both of her hands entwined in her lap, Lee hooked a finger under her chin to get her to look at him again.

"I know," she sighed and laid her hand on her stomach. "I'm just a little scared, I guess. I don't look or act or feel like the Amanda that they knew, that you knew."

"Then they'll have to get used to the new you, just like I did. They have to understand that you have some healing and readjusting to do. You've been gone a long while and endured God only knows what. They'll have some healing and readjusting to do, too," Lee explained, stroking the side of her face with the back of his finger.

Amanda closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath, held it for a second or two and let it out slowly. She opened her eyes and looked into Lee's.

She nodded resolutely and said, "I think I'm ready now."

"I'll be there the whole way, I promise," Lee said and kissed her on the lips. He opened the door and got out.

**LSAKLSAKLSAK**

Dotty heard a car drive up and the engine turn off. She dried her hands on a dishtowel as she made her way to the front door. She opened it and looked down the front walk toward the gate. A silver Corvette was parked just beyond it. It was just beginning to get dark and Dotty could see Lee's now familiar silhouette in the driver's seat. A woman she did not recognize sat in the passenger seat and Lee appeared to be talking to her.

Dotty had been excited earlier in the day when Lee called and said he was coming for dinner and to invite Joe. He had a surprise for them. When she asked for a hint, he clammed up. He was inordinately good at keeping secrets, she noticed.

She came down the front steps to stand on the sidewalk and watched as Lee got out of the car and walked around to the passenger door. He opened it and reached inside. Out stepped a woman with short red hair and she was noticeably pregnant. Lee opened the gate and they made their way up the walk to stand in front of Dotty.

She smiled at Lee and looked curiously at the woman who stood quietly, almost shyly next to him. She wore a loose fitting button up cotton shirt, maternity jeans and tennis shoes. As the woman looked at the ground, Dotty thought there was something familiar about the set of her shoulders and the shape of her ear. Then the woman looked up and met Dotty's curious gaze. Dotty caught her breath as she saw brown eyes, Amanda's eyes. "Amanda?" she exclaimed. "Amanda, is that you?"

Amanda nodded and teary eyed stepped into her mother's embrace.

"Oh, my God! Where have you been?" Dotty asked and put her away from her to look her up and down.

Lee touched Dotty on the shoulder and said, "We'll tell you all what we know and what we have been able to piece together." Lee put his arm around Amanda's shoulders and laid a protective hand on her stomach.

Lee's arm around Amanda's shoulders steadied her somewhat, since she suddenly felt hot and dizzy and faint. Lee noticed as she swayed under his arm. "Are you okay?" he asked, concern evident in his voice. Amanda shook her head and turned to walk away back down the sidewalk to the gate.

Lee watched her as she moved away from him. Dotty touched his shoulder and said, "It's okay. I understand. She's a little unsure of herself right now and needs a little encouragement. Talk to her. Take care of her. I'll be in the kitchen, when she's ready." With that she stepped away from Lee and went back in the house. She left the front door open to show Lee and Amanda they were welcome.

Lee walked down the sidewalk toward Amanda. She stood in front of the gate with her back to the house. As Lee approached, he noticed her breathing was rapid and she held onto the gate with a white knuckled grip. Her shoulders were raised. She was feeling vulnerable and overwhelmed. Lee knew the feeling well, since he had felt it many times himself, mostly since he had met Amanda. He smiled as he thought, _Dr. Quidd's body language training courses are really coming in handy. _

He didn't know if it was pregnancy hormones, the situation or something else. All he knew was that she needed him to be strong and level headed for her right now. He gently laid his hands on her shoulders and caught sight of his wedding ring. _For better or worse._ The words ricocheted around inside his head for a moment or two before he spoke.

"Hey, Panda," he said and gently tried to get her to turn around. For the moment, she wasn't going to budge.

She took her hands off the gate and crossed her arms over her chest; she was defensive now. Lee dropped his hands and moved back a little, as she turned around and leaned back against the gate.

"Why do you call me Panda? It reminds me of two of the scariest and most terrible times in my life," she said, finding an overwhelming fascination with the toe of her tennis shoe as she scuffed it on the sidewalk.

Lee hooked a finger under her chin and gently forced her to look at him. She resisted him for only a moment and then relented. When she met his eyes, hers were bright with unshed tears and filled with apprehension and uncertainty.

"I call you Panda, because those were also a few of the times when you were at your bravest. During Stemwinder you risked your career, your life, everything to stay with me and help us find redemption. And the recent Dmitriev case saw you risking it all again, even the life of our unborn child, to get back to me. When I call you Panda, I honor and acknowledge your courage and your willingness to lay it all on the line to show me how much you love me." Lee spoke softly as he smoothed the hair over her ear with the backs of his fingers.

Amanda sighed and wrapped her arms around Lee's waist. She rested her cheek on his chest and stood still, listening to him breathe. "Thank you," she whispered in a small voice.

Lee wrapped his arms tighter around her and swayed and turned with her in his arms. "No. Thank you," he said.

Amanda blinked and asked, "For what?"

Lee kissed the top of her head and said, "Just for being you." Lee thought for moment and said, "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. Maybe it was too soon and you just aren't ready for this yet."

Amanda inhaled sharply and said, "They need to know I'm alive and okay. They need to see me and touch me and know that this is for real. I understand that. It's just that… It's just that…" Just then, her throat closed and made it impossible to speak. She began to tremble, just before she began to cry. Lee held her and said nothing, just let her cry.

He knew this was a delayed reaction to all that she had been through and some stuff was still hard to process. He sighed as he thought, _This too shall pass._ Since she was pregnant, he knew there would probably be more of these. Next time hopefully he would be better prepared.

Amanda had once told him that tears scared him more than bullets. He was quickly discovering that if he was going to have a wife, especially one that was pregnant and recovering from psychological trauma, tears would be regular thing around him. He was just going to have to learn to deal with it the best way he knew how. He made a mental note to talk to Billy about how he dealt with Jeanie's mercurial moods when she was pregnant.

She stopped trembling and looked up. She sniffled and wiped at the tears with the heel of her hand. Lee reached into the breast pocket of his jacket and pulled out a plain white cotton hanky. "I came prepared. I had a feeling something like this might happen."

Amanda dabbed at her face, as she said, "I can cry about this all I want, but I can't run away from it. I need to get back to my normal life and move toward a normal married life with you." She ran her finger up and down under the lapel of his jacket, as she said, "Although spending the rest of my life at your apartment being pampered by you does have its own appeal." She smiled quirkily and took a breath so deep that it made her shoulders shrug.

Lee smiled at this and knew she was on her way to at least a temporary recovery, since she was trying to be humorous. "Are you ready for this now?"

"I think so."

She hooked her pinky with his and then wrapped her arm around his waist. Lee put his arm across her shoulders and drew her against his hip. They strolled up the walk to the front door. When they got there, Lee stopped her from entering. With a mischievous grin, he scooped her into his arms and carried her across the threshold and into the kitchen.

Lee put her on her feet and whispered close to her ear, "Never thought I'd get to do that either."

Dotty glanced up from her dinner preparations to watch her daughter and her son-in-law at play. She smiled when she saw Amanda look up at Lee with love, happiness and wonder in her face. Suddenly she knew that her daughter was going to be okay and Lee was the one to help her get there.

She ushered them into the den, where a teapot and poppy seed cake sat on the coffee table. Lee and Amanda sat together on the couch and Dotty poured tea into the cups and sat in a chair. Amanda smelled it and knew it was chamomile, her mother's remedy to calm and comfort. Amanda chose a slice of cake and took a bite. After she chewed and swallowed, she said, "This is good, Mother."

"Not as good as yours dear, but I gave it my best shot." Dotty checked her watch and said, "Joe and the boys should be here soon."

At Amanda's look Lee took her hand and laid it on his thigh. He made small circles in her palm with his thumb. It was a way for him to help her regain focus and calm without anyone else noticing.

A few minutes later Joe came through the front door and asked, "Why is the front door open?"

Dotty called, "Lee must have forgotten to close it after he brought something inside." She gave Lee a mock serious look and winked at Amanda.

They listened as Joe sent the boys upstairs to do their homework and told them he would call them when dinner was ready. He came into the den and Lee stood up to shake his hand. Amanda stayed quiet as Joe was seated and offered tea and cake.

Joe looked curiously at the woman seated next to Lee on the couch. Then he saw her eyes and the shape of her jaw. He had run his fingers along that jaw and wiped tears from that cheek so many times that he had memorized the shape of it. Joe put down his cup and stood up. "Amanda? Is that you? Is it really you?" Amanda nodded.

Joe stepped toward her and took her hand. Almost in one motion he pulled her up and enveloped her in a huge bear hug. "Oh, my God! Where have you been? We thought you were dead," he mumbled with tears in his eyes. He kissed her and held her for moment longer. He stepped back to hold both of her hands and have a good look at her. "You look so different, but I just knew it was you," he said, as he touched her face.

Amanda sat down again next to Lee and laid her hand on his thigh, which was uncharacteristically tense at the moment. She reached to take his left hand with her own and turned her hand to show him her wedding ring, as if to say, _I might still love him, but I'm in love with you. I gave my heart and my life to you._ Lee squeezed her hand and nodded.

Dotty got up and said, "I need to check on dinner. I hope you like roast beef."

Amanda smiled and sipped her tea, since her mother knew she was fixing her favorite dish for dinner. Dotty came back a few minutes later and asked Joe and Lee to set the table. Dotty sat down in the spot next to Amanda that Lee had vacated only moments before.

Amanda looked up as she sat down. "Hello, Mother. I'm sorry about earlier. I just got really overwhelmed all of the sudden and had to back away for little bit."

Dotty took her hand and patted it. She smiled and said, "I understand, dear. It is evident that you have been through a lot in the last few months and we all need to cut you a bit of slack." She sighed wistfully and reached to touch a short red lock of hair. "You are definitely not the Amanda that walked out of here suitcases in hand over 5 months ago and we're all just going to have to get used to the idea." She smiled again as she said, "And when are you going to get around to telling me about my grandchild?"

At that Amanda smiled and glanced up. "Lee told me that you know we're married, but he swore you to secrecy. Close as I can figure, I probably got pregnant on our wedding night. I'm about 22 weeks along and the baby is due around Thanksgiving. I had an ultrasound a few days ago. Oh, how I wished Lee had been there with me when I saw the baby and heard its heartbeat. We don't know the sex yet. That's something that I wanted to share with Lee if at all possible. Despite what we've been through, I am very healthy and the baby is fine."

"Oh, that's just wonderful, dear. How does Lee feel about this?" Dotty asked.

"Lee is over the moon. He's so happy that if he smiled any wider sometimes the top of his head would fall off," Amanda said smiling and glanced up as Lee and Joe came into the room. For the moment, it seemed as though they had called a truce.

Lee asked, "Are you ready to see the boys?" He offered his hand.

Amanda took a deep breath and stood to wrap her arm around Lee's waist. She nodded.

Joe went to call the boys to dinner. It sounded like a buffalo stampede as they came down the stairs. The boys listened as Joe stopped them at the foot of the stairs and told them that they have a special guest for dinner. Joe ushered the boys into the den as they verbally speculated as to who it could be.

As the boys made their way to the den, Amanda thought, _This is going to be a lot for them to take in all at once; their mother's return from the dead after being gone for nearly six months, Lee and me being married and a new baby. One thing at time._

Lee tightened his hold on her waist slightly and kissed the top of her head to let her know that he was there if she needed him.

Joe asked, "Boys, do you know who this is?"

Jamie stood looking at Amanda curiously and then she looked at him mock seriously with humor in her eyes. "Mom! Mom!" Amanda dropped to her knees and held out her arms as Jamie hurtled toward her.

"Oh, my gosh!" she exclaimed as she caught him in her outstretched arms. "Oh, how I've missed you."

Lee stood quietly behind her, one hand on her shoulder to let her know he was there and to keep her from toppling over backwards.

"Mom, we thought you were dead. Where have you been?" Jamie asked and buried his head in her shoulder. "I missed you so much."

Amanda stroked the back of his head and said, "I know, honey. I love you so much."

Phillip hung back, a look of confusion on his face and said nothing. Amanda glanced up and saw him standing there shifting from one foot to the other, not knowing what to do. Amanda extended one of her arms and said, "Come here, Phillip. I won't bite." When he hesitated again, she coaxed, "It's okay, Phillip. It's me. It really is me." Phillip moved slowly toward her, still undecided.

Then she decided to try another tack. "Phillip Joseph King, you come here right now!" she said sternly.

His eyes widened momentarily and he exclaimed, "Oh, Mom!" He almost ran across the room and came crashing to his knees in front of her. Amanda wrapped her free arm around him and gave him a teary kiss on the top of his head.

Lee squeezed Amanda's shoulder and stepped away. He motioned to the others to quietly leave the room and finish dinner preparations.

**LSAKLSAKLSAK**

Dinner was a joyous occasion with food passing here and there, light hearted chatter and toast after toast. Lee had brought a liquor case from the car that contained three bottles of his favorite Beaujolais and three bottles of sparkling red grape juice.

Near the end of dinner Phillip made a toast, something simple and elemental, as he stood next to his mother. His hand rested on her shoulder as he said, "To Mom. We love you so much and we've missed you. Welcome back."

Amanda smiled, took Phillip's hand off of her shoulder and kissed it. She sighed heavily, again on the verge of tears. Lee sat on her other side and leaned close to whisper in her ear, "You okay? You need a moment?"

Amanda shook her head and looked down. Her eyes were blurry with tears as she folded and refolded the napkin in her lap. She sighed again and got up. She ran blindly toward the front door and made her way to the gate once again.

Lee stood up as he heard the front door open and close and tossed his napkin on the table. He smiled nervously and said, "She's been through a lot and she's still kind of overwhelmed by all this."

Joe said, "It's okay. Go take care of her. We'll be okay till you get back."

Lee opened the front door and saw Amanda's silhouette as she stood in front of the gate, her back to the house. He made his way to the gate and stood still for a second before he put his hands gently on her shoulders. He said, "Hey, Panda. Haven't we played this scene before?"

Amanda glanced back at him with a quirky smile. "Yeah, we have. Aren't you getting tired of chasing me down?"

"If this is what it takes to make you feel safe and comfortable and at peace, then that's what I'll do." He put his left hand over hers and lifted their hands so that the diamond on her engagement ring sparkled in the moonlight. "See this? I made a commitment to you and this family. I'm here for you and the boys, come what may, no matter what." That reminded him of something else.

"I remember when you were in the hospital after you got shot and we didn't know whether you were going to live or die. I finally knew firsthand how you felt all those times you stubbornly kept vigil over my bed when it was me in the hospital. And what about the time you thought I had died and Billy made you attend my fake funeral? I knew then for certain that I had handled that all wrong and I knew that I had hurt you deeply with my blasé attitude. That only went to show how much you cared for me even then. I made a promise to you and myself that if we ever made it through this, I would make it up to you somehow."

She turned to face him suddenly and threw her arms around him. She leaned back to look into his eyes. Her eyes were sparkling and she had that look of wonder and amazement in her face that he loved so well. "I love you so much," she said shaking her head.

"And I love you." He said and kissed her. He paused and glanced at his watch. "You know, we have been out here quite a while. They're probably wondering what happened to us by now and are mounting a search party. Are you about ready to try this again?" Lee asked.

"Yeah," she said and sighed. "You know we'll need to tell them about being married and the baby. Mother knows. That's what we were talking about when you and Joe were setting the table."

"I guessed as much, but I wasn't going to begrudge Dotty any alone time with you after everything she had been through thinking she had lost her only child," said Lee.

"How are we going to break this to the boys? And will this be good news?" asked Amanda.

"One thing at time, Panda," he said. "One thing at a time." Lee extended his arm so that Amanda could come under it.

"Okay, let's do this," said Amanda, as they strolled back up the sidewalk.

**LSAKLSAKLSAK**

As they came back into the dining room, Dotty offered them each a glass. Lee's contained wine and Amanda's contained grape juice. Apparently Phillip had tried to switch glasses with his mother hoping to get some wine, but to no avail. Amanda had been almost finished eating when she bolted, so they were in the process of cleaning up. The boys finished clearing the table and joined the adults in the den.

As everyone got settled again, Lee stood and offered his hand to Amanda to bring her to stand in front of him. He took both of her hands in his and said, "While everyone is here, Amanda and I have a few announcements. First of all, we got married shortly before we went to California and we were actually on our honeymoon when she got shot." Lee put his hand on Amanda's belly and Amanda laid her hand on top of his. "Second of all, as you have probably noticed, Amanda and I are going to have a baby. It's due around Thanksgiving."

Joe had noticed their wedding rings earlier, but did not want to press them for answers just yet. Amanda's round belly and the sparkle of happiness in her eyes reminded him of when she was pregnant with Phillip and Jamie and his throat grew tight with nostalgia of everything he no longer had with Amanda.

Amanda sat down on the couch between Phillip and Jamie and put her arms around their shoulders. She asked, "How do you guys feel about all this?"

Phillip asked, "Will Lee come to live with us?"

"Yes, eventually. We have a few things to straighten out first between us and where we work before that can happen," said Amanda.

"We're going to have a little brother or sister. I'm gonna be a big brother, too," said Jamie.

"Yes, you are. I'll bet you'll be the best big brother ever," Amanda said and kissed him on the top of his head.

She looked up at Lee and then spoke to the boys, "Look guys, I'm really tired. It's been a tough last couple of days. I'm going to go home with Lee tonight. We have a lot to talk about and I have to straighten a few things out at work. But hopefully in a few days I'll be home for good. Listen to your Grandma. I love you both bunches."

"Don't go, Mom. We just got you back," said Phillip.

"I know, honey. Tell you what. Let me do this and next weekend is all yours. Just you guys and me, whatever you want to do, within reason," she said. "Deal?"

"Deal!" they both shouted at once.

"Okay!" She gave them each a kiss on the cheek and got up. "Go get ready for bed and I'll be up to tuck you in a little bit."

The boys got up and went to the doorway. Both looked back at her as though they thought if they left the room she would disappear again and not come back. "It's okay, guys. Go on upstairs."

When the boys reached the top of the stairs, Lee said, "We wanted to tell you about what we know about how Amanda got shot, her death and subsequent disappearance."

Joe said, "I've been curious about that. I did some investigating on my own and every trail dead ended, every lead went cold. I hope you were able to come up with a few more answers."

Lee looked at Amanda and said, "We found out that Amanda was shot when we got caught in some crossfire. We know that it had to do with a dispute over salvage rights of a Spanish galleon named _La Bodega, _which sank off the coast of California near Las Palmas in the early 18th century. One salvage company was trying to take out the competition and we just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time."

"The doctor faked the flat line and the code blue. She was injected with a drug called Moxyprinoprine, which brought her life signs to near undetectable and made her appear dead. She was shipped back to Dulles in her casket with an oxygen tank and a saline IV, where her casket was stolen from the hearse on its way to the funeral home and taken to a warehouse. She was held captive until she was able to escape. She called the film company with a special code Amanda and I had worked out during that time almost a year ago when she and I were on the run from the Feds. She was recaptured, but I along with some friends from the government and local police were able to rescue her and bring those responsible to justice, including her captor and the thugs who intercepted her casket. There are a few people at the hospital in California that are under investigation as well, including her primary physician.

"The government had some questions and they will probably have some more for Amanda. I know how to handle them and you don't need to worry. Though we were on our honeymoon, we were also on assignment for the film company scouting locations for a documentary. The film company feels kind of responsible and wants to know if she and the baby are all right. She may need to spend a few days in the hospital while they complete their testing. For now, that's all we can tell you."

"Oh, my God!" said Dotty. "Are you all right? You do seem tired and underweight."

"I'm fine, Mother. Nothing that some rest and good food and a lot of love won't cure," Amanda answered, looking up at Lee.

Amanda looked toward the stairs. "The boys are probably waiting for me to tuck them in. I'll be back in a little bit and we can leave. I'm really tired."

Amanda trudged up the stairs and opened the door to the boys' room. Jamie was sitting on Phillip's bed. They went silent and glanced up as Amanda came in. They had been talking quietly but animatedly about something that they didn't want Amanda to hear.

"Hey, guys," she said and sat down between Jamie and Phillip on the bed.

"Hi, Mom," they both said at the same time.

She wrapped an arm around each of them. "Your mother, whom you thought was dead has come back; she is married to Lee Stetson and she is expecting a baby. I know that's a lot to take in all at once. If you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask. Even if you think it will make you look like a doofus," she said and looked pointedly at Phillip, who immediately reddened under her scrutiny. "We need to work this out and figure this out together."

"Sure, Mom."

"Okay, Mom."

"Okay, guys. Time for bed," she said and kissed each of them on the temple. She got up and helped Phillip get under the covers and kissed him again. Then she turned to do the same for Jamie.

"'Night, guys. Sweet dreams. I love you both very much."

"'Night, Mom. I love you," said Jamie.

"I love you, Mom. G'night," said Phillip.

As Amanda stepped out of the boys' room and closed the door, she caught sight of the door to her own room. She opened the door and turned on the light and though she had lived there a good portion of her adult life, she suddenly felt like a stranger there. It was exactly the same as she had left it all those months ago. There was dust on every surface and the clothes she had decided not to pack for her trip lay undisturbed on her bed. The window was cracked about two inches, so the room was not musty or stuffy. She had taken to leaving the window cracked enough for a certain midnight caller to be able to open it, since she had had the trellis repaired and reinforced. Somehow meeting Lee on the back porch just didn't seem risqué enough, since he had been in this room undetected on numerous occasions since Stemwinder.

She stopped to think if she needed anything while she was here, but could think of nothing. She saw the giant stuffed panda in the corner and went to give it a hug. Then, she turned off the light and closed the door. She inhaled sharply as she turned and ran straight into Lee.

"Oh, my gosh!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing up here?"

Lee put his hands on her upper arms and moved them up and down. "You were taking quite a long time. I just wanted to check on you and make sure you were all right." And under his breath, "And make sure you hadn't bolted again."

"What was that?" she asked.

"Oh, nothing. Nothing at all," Lee answered, as he took her elbow and steered her toward the stairs.

"It's weird," she said. "My room is exactly as I left it all those months ago."

"Nobody has been in there since Dotty got back from California. It was too painful for her to go in there, so she closed the door and forgot that room was there," said Lee. "I was in there once and I could smell you on the bedclothes. It made me think about never seeing you, never touching you, never holding you, never kissing you. I couldn't stand it. I just couldn't stand it. I thought I was having a heart attack. But I found out it was only an anxiety attack. The only one I've ever had and it had to be in your bedroom."

Amanda was bemused by Lee's revelation of admitted weakness, as she made her way back down the stairs and into the den once again.

Lee took her hand and they said their goodbyes to Dotty and Joe. Dotty hugged her like she didn't want to let go. "It's okay, Mother. I'm gonna be back. I promise."

"I know, but I'm with Phillip on this one," said Dotty.

Lee and Joe shook hands and Amanda hugged Joe. "I'm glad you have Lee," Joe whispered close to her ear. When she drew away, Amanda smiled and nodded. Apparently Joe and Lee had had their own conversation.

Lee kissed Dotty on the cheek and thanked her for a wonderful dinner. She hugged him fiercely and whispered, "She'll be okay. It'll just take time and a lot of love. She has that now, of that I have no doubt." She waved them out the door as they made their way to the gate. Lee opened the car door and helped Amanda inside. He got in and drove back to Lee's apartment.

**LSAKLSAKLSAK**

Lee unlocked the apartment door and let Amanda precede him. She let out a long sigh as she flopped on the couch. She tried to toe her shoes off, but gave up and put her feet still clad in her tennis shoes on the coffee table. Lee smiled and removed her shoes for her. He set them on the floor and sat down next to her.

"Tired?" he asked as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head.

"Yeah, I am," she said and yawned. "It's been a long last couple of days."

"I can imagine," Lee said and checked his watch. 9:42. "C'mon. I'm tired, too. Let's go to bed."

Lee found a pair of his workout shorts and a clean t-shirt for her to sleep in and they snuggled down together in the bed. Once again Amanda was asleep almost immediately. As she lay there asleep in Lee's arms, a smile played about her lips. He was glad that she was happy and safe there.

Lee whispered, "Good night, Panda." And he too dropped off to deep restful sleep.

Author's Note: Thanks for all the reads, the positive reviews and especially the encouragement. So ends the journey for now, but we have not reached our final destination yet as concerns Lee and Amanda. Stay tuned. SMK Forever!

**To Be Continued in "…Have Been Greatly Exaggerated."**


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